tori lynn ross: I Promise, You’re Not Wrong!
- 01/04/09 01:48 PM
Over the last couple of weeks I have been blessed with several Occupied Home Staging appointments and I have noticed a common sentiment among my sellers. Many sellers, during the part of our appointment where we create/discuss the comprehensive Staging strategy (move this here, pack this, repaint this, etc) were saying. "Oh, I'm glad I wasn't wrong to put that there" or "I'm glad that paint choice wasn't wrong". After hearing this several times I was reminded that many sellers do not hire professional decorators and also many don't have a natural flair for interior design. Therefore, when a professional in … (16 comments)
tori lynn ross: Area Rugs Have Their Place
- 05/04/08 11:38 AM
I realize by posting this blog I will incense several of my fellow Home Stagers, but I have a definite opinion on the issue and must speak out - I am against area rugs over wall-to-wall carpeting! Area rugs are great for LIVING in a home; they can define a space, establish a sitting area, add more color or style preferences. And those are the exact reasons they are NOT great for Staging or selling a home. When defining a space, a larger space is then broken up visually; when adding more taste-specific color or style preferences, neutralizing does not occur. When … (14 comments)
tori lynn ross: Mis-Matched Towels? Make a "spa" basket!
- 05/04/08 11:23 AM
We all have many different types and colors of towels in our Staging inventory. Over time my sets have either lost one, been misplaced, or part of the set has just needed to retire. What to do with those leftover towels? Roll 'em up and make a spa basket! A great accessory in a bathroom, especially one with a large tub, is either rolled towels in a basket or as a stack on their own, or possibly adorning a shelving unit. If they are mismatched either by color or type, roll 'em up and it will look like they were placed that way … (12 comments)
tori lynn ross: Grout Recolorant To The Rescue!
- 04/29/08 09:48 AM
When Staging existing homes, I am constantly looking for inexpensive techniques that I can recommend so sellers can make upgrades and improvements to their homes. One of my biggest pet peeves is dark grout lines with light colored tilework, especially in an entryway. Dark grout lines really break up the visual expanse of a floor and just scream "I'm old!". Nothing turns off buyers more or negatively affects the first impression than an outdated floor in the entryway. If the tile is in good condition it is not necessary to replace the grout to get it updated - just recolor it! … (3 comments)
tori lynn ross: A Striking Financial Reason To Address Price & Condition Immediately
- 04/27/08 03:16 AM
Okay, so I am a professional Home Stager and NOT a financial wiz :-) However, I learned something very interesting last week at a presentation that is ANOTHER striking financial reason to price right and stage a home before it's listed on the market. I do not have all of the technical terms down but I will do my best to quickly and accurately explain what I know. In response to our nationwide increase in housing foreclosures and other related economic injuries, the mortgage industry is tightening their lending practices (some voluntarily, some federally mandated). As a result, if a home is … (3 comments)
tori lynn ross: Orange Glo - Miracle Wood Restorer
- 04/20/08 08:13 AM
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes! A few weeks ago I was at a client's house beginning our Staging walkthrough. I had mentioned that the wordwork was pretty beat up in the floor trim and around the doors. The seller stopped me to excitedly explain that she had found the product to save her lots of time and money! She brought out her spray bottle of "Orange Glo" and quickly demonstrated how spraying and wiping this product on the woodwork amazingly filled in some of the nicks and freshened the whole look of it. Not … (7 comments)
tori lynn ross: Another Striking Financial Reason to Stage Before Listing - Omaha, NE
- 04/18/08 07:05 AM
Okay, so I am a professional Home Stager and NOT a financial wiz :-) However, I learned something very interesting this week at a presentation that is ANOTHER striking financial reason to stage a home before it's listed on the market. I do not have all of the technical terms down but I will do my best to quickly and accurately explain what I know. In response to our nationwide increase in housing foreclosures and other related economic injuries, the mortgage industry is tightening their lending practices (some voluntarily, some federally mandated). As a result, if a home is flagged as being … (12 comments)
tori lynn ross: Becoming a One-Stop Shop for Clients
- 04/16/08 11:38 AM
I was invited to participate in a presentation today by a real estate agent. There were three of us industry professionals; one agent, one mortgage person, and little ole me! The presentation went very well and I bet all three of us will earn several clients or transactions from our time. One of the attendees approached me after the presentation and asked if I was interested in hiring her part-time. I am not currently looking for a new part-timer so I tried to let her down gently. She asked if I ever needed anyone just to help organize and pack for people … (11 comments)
tori lynn ross: I Was Wrong - Wallpaper Can Successfully Be Painted Over
- 04/15/08 10:20 AM
Okay, I have to admit that I was slightly wrong in a blog I posted last week. I really HATE to admit when I am wrong :-) Last week I discredited the theory of painting over wallpaper as a quick fix. I have seen the end result in person several times and it always looked terrible - seams were obvious, the pattern of the wallpaper showed through no matter how dark the paint was, etc. TODAY I stand corrected! I was staging a home and the owner told me she had painted over wallpaper in the kitchen and I didn't believe her. … (7 comments)
tori lynn ross: Proud To Be Omaha's Naked Home Stager
- 04/12/08 04:32 AM
That's a title that will get some attention! I just read a great post from one my fellow AR members and finally learned the definition of a "naked" home stager. Before everyone gets too excited, let me explain. There are literally HUNDREDS of staging courses/training sessions/materials that a person can purchase if they desire training on becoming a Home Stager. In 2004 when I stumbled across the world of Home Staging I did quite a bit of research on these courses in addition to some analysis of my local market. In the end I elected to purchase two sets of study at … (8 comments)
tori lynn ross: People Sell Houses, Manequins Do Not
- 04/11/08 04:05 PM
I co-host a radio show called the "Real Estate Reality Hour" on Saturday mornings. My co-host is a builder client/friend of mine; his building company has several model homes here in Omaha, Nebraska. Steve Smithberg (co-host) is an interesting character. He likes to stir the pot and get people on edge or even angry sometimes. He's a little impish that way. He and I have lots of debates which can make for interesting listening. One of our long-standing debates is the use of manequins in model homes. He is strongly FOR it and I am staunchly AGAINST it. He believes that having manequins in … (5 comments)
tori lynn ross: "Easy" Fixes Can Create Disasters - i.e. paint over wallpaper
- 04/11/08 01:41 PM
In our incredibly busy world today it is enticing to take the "easy way out" whenever one is available. So many of us are overstretched with regard to time, money and energy in our daily lives; add the stresses of selling a home on top of that and it can seem impossible to make the necessary changes/repairs/upgrades to get a home ready for market. Wallpaper can kill a potential sale (so can bold paint colors, but that's another blog :-). Everybody knows that but most homeowners don't want to admit it. After all, they bought the house with wallpaper. Or they put up the … (9 comments)
tori lynn ross: Agents Should Not Do Their Own Staging - Yet Another Example
- 04/09/08 02:22 PM
Often times agents advertise "staging" services as part of their marketing package. If they don't hire a third-party professional home stager then they typically don't list a lot of details about their staging services in their literature. I usually chuckle silently to myself when I hear agents talk about providing their own staging expertise as a competitive advantage. I mean, it seems like any person with a command of the english language and the ability to see in color can tell a seller to repaint their red accent wall in a neutral and advertise that as "professional staging advice". My second … (15 comments)
tori lynn ross: "Take Your Child To Work Day" - A Little Extreme for an 11 Day Old Newborn!
- 04/06/08 11:55 AM
I was blessed with the birth of my second born son in January of this year (my first-born is ten, going on 16!). Before he was born I worried about how I would handle business during his early days but had hoped that since it was winter - not really a slower time of year here in Omaha but you would think it might be - and I had a good independent contractor with my firm that I would handle it all okay and enjoy at least 4-6 weeks at home with my beautiful baby. Boy, was I wrong! My bundle of joy was indeed, … (8 comments)
tori lynn ross: General Paint Recommendations for Any Seller
- 04/05/08 09:39 AM
Often times my clients (real estate agents) have made upgrade/improvement suggestions to their sellers before I am scheduled to stage their home for sale. One of the most common suggestions is neutralize wall coverings/finishes - whether it is to remove wallpaper/borders and repaint or repaint over bold colors. Listed below is a something I put together at an agent's request that lists two types of Sherwin Williams Paint colors for the three different types of trim most commonly used in homes. Neutral Paint Suggestions for Home Staging/Selling The best way to select the perfect paint color when selling or decorating is to … (10 comments)
tori lynn ross: Omaha Home Staging - When Neutral Paint Isn't Good Enough
- 04/05/08 05:46 AM
I co-host a radio show in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday mornings called "The Real Estate Reality Hour". This morning's guest was Walt Slobotski, current President of the Metro Omaha Builder's Association, MOBA. Walt asked me an interesting question while we were on air; he was wondering what is the best color scheme with regard to interior paint in a home for sale. My approach to Home Staging is the same as marketing any product or commodity. Once consumer demand has been established, competition in the marketplace further dictates price and quality standards. Therefore a successful seller must know what their direct competition looks like … (2 comments)
Over the last couple of weeks I have been blessed with several Occupied Home Staging appointments and I have noticed a common sentiment among my sellers. 
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